


lady in gold

by ElasticElla



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Femslash February, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 14:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13549431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: She should have picked out something yesterday, she knows that. But Maia decided to actually visit her parents and like hell Izzy was going to let her walk into that alone.





	lady in gold

Isabelle stands before her closet at a complete loss. It’s an unusual feeling, and she doesn’t like it. Ordinarily her clothing is easy to pick out, even helpfully divided between bureaus. There’s the dark enough not to show bloodstains but still look awesome section, the I’m _probably_ not fighting in this fancy wear hangers, the have to play nice with old traditional shadowhunters reserved section, and the fuck I need to do my laundry corner. 

She should have picked out something yesterday, she knows that. But Maia decided to actually visit her parents and like hell Izzy was going to let her walk into that alone. 

She _did_ ask Maia what to wear back when she invited her, but Maia laughed it off saying the wolves would be in their fur coats. Which, while amusing, was utterly unhelpful. And honestly- Maia might not just be messing with her. Very few shadowhunters had ever attended an alpha ceremony, none living, and there’s only the briefest of mentions in any of the Institute’s books. It makes the scientist in her positively gleeful, even if she’s still worried about showing up completely under or over dressed. 

Fourteen minutes. 

Cursing, she grabs an ivory dress, a simple shift in the front and completely backless. Heels and makeup come next, and there’s a wolf barking at her door. Shit, she’s late. 

“Coming!” Izzy rushes out, smiles at the dark brown wolf with a tan ear. “Hey Bat.” 

He nods his head, and they both run down to the old warehouse. It took the greater part of a week to transform it, so many hanging plants and fountains that it looks almost faerie like- only without the haunting undercurrents. 

Bat transforms back once they’re inside, his eyes checking over one last time that everything’s in its proper place. Izzy knows seconds aren’t chosen for their event planning skills, but Maia really lucked out with Bat. 

“This looks incredible,” Izzy says, keeping her eyes firmly on his. She’s gotten better at not blinking over sudden nudity, but her gaze often carries too much curiosity- scientific or otherwise- and it’s really for everyone’s peace of mind that she just doesn’t look closely. 

“The dusk howls happened, they should be racing in here in ten minutes.” 

Izzy takes her seat in the front row, and Bat transforms back, a waiting wolf at the podium. The room almost looks like a wedding is to be performed- an aisle littered with dark red rose petals, chairs to the left and pillows to the right. Some of the chairs have a small stack of clothes for a transformation back. Izzy idly wonders if the other side’s pillows will need to be thrown out after, with so many muddy paws stepping over them. 

Besides Bat, only the elderly and very young are not with the rest of the pack- all but one curled up in a pile of shifting fur. Gertrude, the eldest sits in the back, needles and claws clicking as she knits. She’s of an old bloodline, has enough control over her form to change just a bit. (Ears she did most often, it’s well known that old Gertrude has the best bountiful gossip.) 

With a heavy sigh, she puts down her knitting, walking up to the podium. 

“Young’uns,” she mutters grabbing clothes from a nearby table. “always have to make a statement.” 

Bat wiggles in place a bit, yipping. 

Gertrude smiles, “Aye. A quick one she is.” 

Izzy turns, a moment later hearing the low thunder, and the pack returns, Maia at the very front. Bat circles the room, checking for any stragglers as the wolves settle. Many simply crash on the nearest pillow, eyes bright and tails wagging. Of those that transform, some dress, more don’t. Bat turns human again once everyone’s accounted for, sitting beside Izzy. Maia and Luke wait at the opening, at the end of the aisle. Luke is two steps behind her, head low. 

“Welcome to a new chapter of our pack’s life. I call for the one who will deliver us justice, protection, and vision.” 

Maia lopes up to the podium, Luke at her heels. He stops before the podium, lays down with his head on his paws. Maia transforms in a wave of golden silk, Gertrude dressing her in a whirl. 

Maia is an absolute vision of gold. The bright silk wraps around her, matching nail polish winks from her fingers and toes, and her eyes glow topaz. 

“I am the one who was promised, the one who will lead us through day and night. Nothing, no one shall be closer to my heart than us here. I give myself to our pack, I give myself to you.” 

Howls erupt all over the room, a wild magic palpable in the air. 

Logically, Izzy knows there were certain speech guidelines Maia had to follow for a proper ceremony. But right now, listening to the wolves together, chills all over- she doesn’t think of that. She thinks that Maia looks like a messiah before her flock. 

The last bit of ceremony occurs, each wolf rising and declaring what they will do for the pack. The children claim doing chores around the Jade Wolf, the teenagers Hunter’s Moon and keeping the trails neat. The adults are more diverse- most offering based on their occupation. Like a new teacher will start up after school tutoring sessions, a fisherman to collect a feast, a painter to create a ceremonial mural of today, and so on. 

As a non-werewolf Isabelle is last. Maia told her to give something modest but relatively specialized- like science tutoring to the college kids. Gertrude refused to specify what the last visitor gave, only saying a blessing in blood. 

She’s pretty sure what she meant. Moreover, even if she’s wrong, it’s something she’d do for Maia regardless. And that’s really what the offering is supposed to be- a vocal formality, an inventory of sorts. That happens to possibly be magically binding. 

“I offer you,” Izzy begins, and she can’t stop thinking about what always seems to happen to saviors. “Myself. As a shield against those that would harm you, as a lover for as long as I hold your favor.”

Gasps are heard around the room, and Gertrude’s smile is sharp and crooked. She can feel the oath’s magic sinking into her skin, each of her runes burning as it settles. 

Isabelle blames the white dress, she’s been thinking of eternal vows all day.

.

“What were you thinking?” Maia hisses the first moment they’re alone and far away from any wolf ears. It’s already nearing four a.m., the celebrations lasting long through the night. (If nothing else, none of the other wolves doubt her commitment to Maia now.)

“I love you,” Isabelle says simply. 

Maia groans, “I know that you idiot. I meant you- you swore to protect me, to _die_ for me if need be.”

Izzy places her hands on Maia’s shoulders, “You’re not listening. I love you Maia. I didn’t promise you anything I wouldn’t have done without my word.” 

“Easy to say during peacetime,” Maia mutters, and Izzy won’t correct her. She’s tempted to make a joke about how most shadowhunters never age, but Maia isn’t done. 

“Iz, you know that bond- it won’t matter if you change your mind, you’ll have to save me.”

Izzy almost laughs, can’t help a smile. “No, I _get_ to. Even if I don’t know you’re in danger, I’ll be able to save you.” 

“There’s no changing your mind?” 

“You know how stubborn I can be.” 

Maia sighs, finally relaxing under her hands. “Yeah, I do.” 

Isabelle leans in to kiss her, short and sweet just in case Maia really does want to keep talking. She takes a breath, and Izzy’s stomach squirms- maybe she really did go too far this time. 

Maia just stares for another moment, all soft fondness, “I love you too.”

And Izzy kisses her again, kisses her until the sun rises.


End file.
